Bracknell

ic Berkshire ~ Oct 27 2005

Bracknell Town ................0 Clevedon Town ................2

A SERIES of missed chances came back to haunt Bracknell last Saturday as Clevedon left Larges Lane with three undeserved points.

The Robins matched their opponents throughout the 90 minutes, making a mockery of the 16 place gap that separated the two sides before kick off.

But poor defending from a corner gave Clevedon the lead with 20 minutes remaining and, with Bracknell pushing forward looking for an equaliser, the visitors snatched the points with a late second.

Manager Alan Taylor, said: "The word is mugged. I thought we were totally in control but at this level you have to take your chances.

"We were the better team, there is no doubt about that but you don't always get what you deserve in football.

"The players are gutted but they know they've done well, it must have been strange for them when the manager comes into the changing room at the end and praises them for losing 2-0.

"But that's what I did and I said that if you keep playing like that this season we will be fine."

The home side started the game the stronger and forced the first chance of the game after 10 minutes but Neil Selby shot tamely at Ray Johnston in the Clevedon goal.

Selby went close again five minutes later when he got on the end of an excellent cross from Jon Palmer but his header grazed the crossbar as it flew over.

The striker wasted his third, and probably best chance, on 28 minutes when he dragged an effort just wide after being found unmarked after good play from John Dyer.

The visitors then began to get into the game and had the better of the closing stages of the first half with Andrew Poyser in superb form for Bracknell.

Centre forward Jack Pitcher pulled one effort wide when through on goal, before Poyser produced an athletic finger-tip save to deny the same man when he got his head onto a left-wing cross.

Tom Jacobs then looked to have given Clevedon the lead on 41 minutes but Mike Cook's desperate goal line clearance kept the scores level at half-time.

The second half started in the worst possible way for Bracknell when Selby broke his arm in an innocuous looking challenge.

He was replaced by Stuart Tanfield who put in a superb display and provided the home side with extra width down the right which gave Clevedon all sorts of problems.

Good play from John Dyer gave the Robins their first real chance of the second half on 54 minutes but Gavin Taylor's shot was deflected wide.

Bracknell continued to put the visitors under pressure but went behind against the run of play on 71 minutes.

Poor marking from a corner allowed Steve Lester to head unchallenged back across goal and Kris Witcombe volleyed home.

Tanfield went close to levelling five minutes later but saw his shot saved and, with the home side pushing forward towards the end, Clevedon wrapped up the points.

A through ball from Pitcher sent Jacobs clear and the striker coolly slotted home to seal the points in injury-time. Bracknell: Poyser, Cook, Oldham (Fenton), Browne, Baker, Hayward (McNamara), Griffin, Taylor, Dyer, Selby (Tanfield), Palmer.